Lady Scarlet
by Mistress AfriCoffee
Summary: It's exactly what you think it is! An oh-so-hated SebastianxOC fic! Grell brings a gift in an attempt to woo Sebastian, but little do they know that that "gift" will bring unintended consequences...
1. Chapter 1

"Oh Sebas- _chan~!_ "

Sebastian cringed inwardly. He knew that voice.

He had just finished setting up the dining room for dinner (can't trust Mey-Rin with the dishes) and was about to prepare the food ( _definitely_ can't trust Baldroy with the cooking). He honestly wanted to be left alone while keeping the house, but it can't be helped…

But he couldn't protect himself against the fire Grell fought with.

"Oh isn't she just _precious?_ " Grell asked, petting a small, black kitten. She emitted a lovely purr, her long tail lazily swishing back and forth.

Precious she was indeed…

Sebastian realized too late that he had reached out to pet her, playing right into Grell's trap. Grell realized this too, and lifted the kitten out of reach.

"You want her, eh?" Grell asked in a teasing tone, "I'll let you keep her, then."

Sebastian subconsciously knew that Grell was tricking him, and that Sebastian can easily attain the feline himself. Instead he reached out to it like a stupid human child trying to take a piece of candy.

Grell laughed, moving the cat away again. "For a price~!"

Sebastian stopped and stared at Grell, and even went as far to _consider_ if it was a good idea. But the cat was _lovely_ -she had such soft-looking fur, and her meows were music to his ears.

He was going to regret this when it was over, but he just could _not_ think straight.

"Fine," Sebastian said, irritated with himself. Reason was telling him many ways he can go about this without descending to the fabulous grim reaper's level, but his love towards that kitten- _owning_ it, making it _his_ -said to get it and get it _now._ "What is it?"

Grell cavorted to the dining table, still holding that beautiful creature. "Do you _promise…?_ "

"Yes, fine, I promise. Now what is it?" Sebastian asked, wanting this to be over with.

However, Grell wanted to drag it out. He grinned, his razor sharp teeth showing from ruby red lips.

Suddenly, Sebastian gained his train of thought, if only for a moment. _Ruby red lips…is he wearing lipstick?_

He put a hand over his face, already knowing what Grell was going to demand from him.

"…a _kiss_ ~!" Grell replied in a singsong voice, grinning even wider and making his trademark hand gesture.

Sebastian sighed. He had rashly given his word he'd do it, and it's either do it or forsake the cat altogether.

But she was so precious…

"Fine."

Grell stopped for a moment, as if he was surprised it actually worked. However the shock was short-lived, because Grell puckered his lips and leaned in close, invading Sebastian's personal space. "Can there be _tongue?_ Oh I can't _wait_ to-"

Sebastian couldn't take another one of Grell lovesick rants today, and he wanted that kitten. So instead of roundhouse kicking him in the face like he normally does, he did what he promised.

Taking Grell by the chin, Sebastian slapped Grell dead in the face, somehow wiping off any trace of lipstick.

"But _Sebas-chan_ ," Grell whined, holding his cheek with one hand and the cat in another. "Y-y-you _promised!_ Unless you were just kidding!" At this, Grell began to cry. "Not even _you're_ so cruel as to do _that_ to me! You'd just reject me! Why would you break my heart like that?! I-"

Grell was silenced immediately by Sebastian's lips.

The entire experience was revolting and demeaning to Sebastian, but there was a mysterious sensation in his gut that only appears when he's holding a kitten and hearing it purr as it rubs its soft fur against his skin. He'd never admit it but…

It was almost enjoyable.

 _Almost._

Sebastian made an attempt to break away from Grell, but Grell had somehow hooked both legs around his waist and is arms around his neck. The kitten had escaped the grim rapist's grasp and was sleeping on the table, still swishing her tail back and forth, without a care in the world.

Sebastian involuntarily moaned at the sight of the kitten now stretching itself at the worst possible moment-Grell had recaptured his lips and began to grope his rear.

Taking his moan as a want for more, Grell even had the nerve to start _grinding_ on him, bringing Sebastian back to the horrid present. Panicking for the first time in a long time, he attempted to throw Grell off him, but the stupid idiot refused to let go, resulting in both of them landing on the floor-Sebastian hopelessly pinned to the ground and Grell now humping him like a dog in heat.

Now thoroughly upset, Sebastian finally shoved Grell off, glaring daggers at the gay grim reaper, who smiled back that infuriating grin.

"Oh Sebas- _chan_ , you're being rough?" Grell mocked, flipping his hair, "I _love_ it rough!"

Sebastian has had enough of this.

Taking the perfectly set dining table (after putting the kitten to a safe place on the shelf, of course) Sebastian hit Grell with it as hard as he can.

…which was pretty hard.

"Ow! Geez, I'm sorry I got carried away- _augh!_ "

Sebastian began to mercilessly beat Grell with the table, wanting to make Grell pay for violating him in such a way, and dragging an innocent creature into it as well-it drove Sebastian off the edge to use a sweet kitten like that just for personal gain. He already disliked Grell, but now he wanted to beat the divine being until his blood was completely spattered on the walls and floor. He was past caring about the mess-he'd clean it up eventually. Right now he just wanted to make Grell pay.

At some point the table had caught fire, but Sebastian didn't care. Grell was still screaming, and that was good enough for him. When the table eventually broke, Sebastian picked up a beat-up Grell and looked him dead in the eye.

"The cat is mine," Sebastian growled, "and you better hope I don't see your face again for quite some time."

Grell nodded, still somehow grinning. "At least I got what I wanted-!"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "You made me promise, and I don't take promises lightly. You forced me to do your bidding."

The Grim reaper winked his swollen eye. "You could have broken your promise."

"But if I had," Sebastian replied, "Then what kind of butler would I be? As I have said, I don't take promises lightly-I've never broken a single one. A Phantomhive butler who can't do that much isn't worth his salt."

Not waiting for Grell to reply, Sebastian threw him out the window, ignoring the fabulous reaper's insane laughter.

When he calmed down, Sebastian looked at the now destroyed dining room, the cat perched high up on the shelf, casually bathing herself as if nothing was wrong.

He envied her carefree attitude.

Sebastian shook his head, "Now I'm a full ten minutes behind schedule," he murmured, amused. "Oh well, I'd better get to work then."

"Wow!" Mey-Rin said, "Sebastian, it's so neat!"

"Yeah!" Finni agreed, "Amazing as always!"

"And the food looks great!" Baldroy put in.

"I'm flattered," Sebastian replied. "But the food could have been better, I'm afraid. It's merely [insert fancy food here because it's 1:00 AM and I can't think of anything]. I had a little…setback with preparations and had to rush."

Ciel tasted the food. "It'll do," he decided. "By the way, did that large commotion earlier have to do with your setback?"

Sebastian fought to keep a straight face. "Yes, my lord. But I took care of it, so there is no need to you to worry about it."

"Well good, because-what was that?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment, and then the noise sounded again-a small meow from the shelf.

"Oh my apologies," Sebastian, smiling and picking up the black kitten, "I almost forgot she was there. Grell had given it to me as a… _gift_."

"Aw, it's so _cute_!" Mey-Rin exclaimed, petting it.

Ciel put a hand to his forehead, and Sebastian smiled sheepishly. "My lord-"

"Yes, you may keep her," Ciel responded immediately, already knowing what he was going to ask. "But don't let it mess with the quality of the house-no peeing, scratching, or anything else cats do. I want it trained, understood? That's an order."

Sebastian bowed low to hide his wide grin. "Yes, my lord."

It was one of the few moments alone Sebastian can get, late at night when everyone's asleep. He was back in the dining room with the kitten, petting it as it lay on his stomach, purring softly.

"What to name you…" he murmured.

She jumped off him suddenly, and stuck at a rat trying to sneak past. As Sebastian amusedly watched her kill it, a thought popped in his head.

"Lady Scarlet," he said, "that's what I'll call you."

Lady Scarlet lifted her head up and looked at him, responding to her new name with a meow.

"Do you like that name?"

She walked back to him and curled in a ball on his stomach, purring as he resumed petting her as before.

"I'm taking that as a yes."

Soon after, Lady Scarlet fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, what's this?" Lau asked, rudely awakening a sleeping cat by picking it up off the shelf it was sleeping on, "dinner?"

Ciel turned to ask what in the world Lau was talking about when he saw the cat. "Oh, that's Sebastian's cat, Lady Scarlet. Just let her be."

Instead of letting her be, Lau held it out in front of himself. "We eat cats in my country-"

Suddenly the cat disappeared from Lau's arms and placed back on the shelf. "My apologies," Sebastian said, plastering a fake smile, "But cat is _not_ on the menu this evening."

Lau blinked in disbelief. "How…?"

Ciel only smirked. "Just stay away from her if you know what's best for you."

"However, [insert fancy dish here because it's 1:50 AM and I can't think of one] along with chocolate curry buns _is_ on the menu this evening," Sebastian stated, bringing out the food, "and I do hope you will enjoy it."

"Ah you outdo yourself once again!" Soma exclaimed happily, munching on the curry buns, "you are most definitely a fantastic cook! As good as Agni here!"

Agni nodded. "I have undoubtedly met my equal in the culinary arts."

Sebastian chuckled. "You flatter me. I do try my best. A Phantomhive butler who can't do just that isn't worth his salt."

"Sebas- _chan!_ "

Sebastian's face immediately darkened.

Prince Soma jumped at the swift mood change. "How frightening," he commented to Agni, "I'll be sure to never call him _that_!"

Agni nodded. "His aura darkens right before my eyes."

Grell flies through the window, laughing his head off. Sebastian took Ciel and his plate of food and dove to the left as Grell hit the spot Ciel was sitting in just a few seconds prior to impact.

"I want my cat back," Grell said bluntly.

"Go to hell," Sebastian replied.

"I'll pay you if I can eat it," Lau put in.

He shrunk back when both Grell and Sebastian glared at him. "Okay maybe not."

Sebastian faced Grell once again. "After everything I went through, you will _not_ take Lady Scarlet from me."

"Oh, Lady Scarlet is a _beautiful name_ ," Grell cooed, shaking his hips, "Even _if_ she's black!"

"That's racist," Lau replied.

"You're ridiculous," Ciel replied.

"Protect your kitten!" Soma shouted.

"This kitten is mine," Sebastian growled, "good luck getting past me to-"

"AAH! GET IT OFF ME! OWOWOWOWOWOW! AAAAHHH!"

Sebastian and the others stared blankly as Lady Scarlet proceeded to scratch Grell to ribbons. After about five or so minutes, the kitten stopped and casually trotted to Sebastian, rubbing on his leg and purring.

"…It likes you more, anyway," Agni said.

"You're great with animals!" Soma agreed.

"I just love cats," Sebastian replied, smiling and picking up the kitten. "They just happen to like me back."

He looked to Grell, sobbing on the ground. After a moment, he picked him up and threw him out the window once again.

" _Ciel-kun!_ "

Ciel was actually anticipating the tackle hug, but was too lazy to avoid it. When he righted himself, he sighed. "Hi Lizzie."

Elizabeth smiled brightly. "I just wanted to see my lovely fiancé-"

She stopped, seeing Lady Scarlet meandering into the drawing room. "Oh! A kitty!" She reached for it, but then began to sneeze.

Ciel turned to her in alarm. "Lizzie? Are you okay?"

Elizabeth stopped sneezing for a moment. "I'm allergic to cats…"

"Then why in the world would you try to touch it? _Sebastian!_ "

"Yes, my lord?" Sebastian asked, holding Finni on one shoulder and Pluto on the other.

Ciel didn't bother trying to comprehend what had happened before summoning him. "Please remove Lady Scarlet from the drawing room. It seems Elizabeth is allergic to cats."

"Oh how genuinely regretful," Sebastian said, "Come come, Lady Scarlet. It's time you took a bath anyway."

Lady Scarlet meowed and followed Sebastian outside.

When he left, Pluto had spotted Lady Scarlet. When he did, he howled and broke from Sebastian's grasp and ran up to her, turning into his true canine form.

Lady Scarlet wasn't afraid in the slightest.

In fact when Pluto sniffed her, she meowed and sniffed back. Then she purred, rubbing Pluto's front legs.

Pluto's eyes widened, and Sebastian dove for Lady Scarlet before the inevitable happened.

" _RAWR!"_

Pluto turned human and began to chase Sebastian and Scarlet down the hallway.

"S-S-Sebastian!" Finni cried, "Y-y-you're still carrying me!"

Sebastian ignored him. All he was focused on was trying to avoid that blasted hellhound.

"I hate dogs," Sebastian muttered, diving out the window. Pluto dove after them, but only succeeded in falling straight down into the bushes. Sebastian was able to jump forwards and land on the grass. When he landed, he set Finni down, who collapsed as if _he_ was the one running around the house. Lady Scarlet had tucked herself in Sebastian's arms and looked asleep.

Sebastian smiled down at the cute feline and cuddled it close to him. She was warm and fuzzy, and Sebastian wasn't going to let go of her anytime soon. Instead, he turned to Finni, still lying on the ground.

"Finni," Sebastian said sternly, "please go leash that infernal beast. And fix the shrubbery while you're at it."

Finni nodded, gathering his composure. "Yes sir!" He then rushed to do what he was told.

Sebastian looked back to the kitten in his arms, still sleeping peacefully. Her tail swished back and forth in that same, lazy manner as she purred, content with his hand lightly caressing her soft fur.

"I love cats," Sebastian murmured, petting her head, eliciting more purrs from Lady Scarlet.


	3. Chapter 3

**So I WAS going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but then I thought EH WHAT THE HECK. So here.**

"Oh _Sebas-cha-"_

Grell stopped cavorting and stared at the woman lying on the dining room table. She was curled up in a ball, but he couldn't see her face. She had long, curly bright red hair and dark, olive colored skin. She wore no clothing, but her hair covered her sufficiently. When she looked up lazily at Grell, he saw she had bright green eyes, brighter than any human's should be.

Grell recalled randomly that Lady Scarlet had green eyes, but dismissed it. Lady Scarlet was just a cat, after all.

And then the woman meowed.

"Oh no…" Grell said, starting to panic. Sebastian _loved_ Lady Scarlet. If he found out something this random happened to her, he'd blame him and probably kill him-especially because of how Sebastian obtained her.

"Grell? I figured that was you."

Grell jumped, and covered the woman with his cloak. "Oh…hello Sebastian…" He saw a tail swish from underneath the jacket and he pushed it out of sight.

Sebastian stopped and narrowed his eyes at him. "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did something?" Grell asked nervously, "I just wanted to say hi!"

"You said Sebastian instead of _Sebas-_ chan. And where's Lady Scarlet? I left her in here."

Grell visibly paled but said nothing.

"…Grell?"

Grell swallowed hard. "Well…you see…"

Sebastian's face began to contort in rage. "Where… _is_ she?"

"She…died. I'm here because I'm reaping her soul!"

Joking was _not_ a good idea. Sebastian reached for the table, but Grell smacked his hand away. The woman was still on the table, and Sebastian must _not_ see her.

"I will end you," Sebastian said sweetly, "and I will enjoy it."

Grell almost pointed out that demons can't kill grim reapers, but decided against it. Instead, he said, "I'll tell you what happened if you promise to not freak out."

"Last time I made a promise to you I was _violated._ "

Good point. "Fine, just…don't kill me. Please?"

"No promises," Sebastian reminded him. "Now where is Lady Scarlet?"

"She's right here," a third voice called.

Grell gasped and Sebastian looked mildly surprised.

The woman sat up, covering herself with Grell's coat and looked at Sebastian. "I believe you were looking for me?"

Sebastian turned to Grell, his eyes ablaze with rage. " _What the hell did you do to my cat?!"_

"It wasn't him," Scarlet said calmly, "it's just me. I'm a Faery."

Grell cocked his head to the side, clearly confused. "You don't look like a faery."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know what one is?"

"No…do you?"

"No, actually," Sebastian replied. He then turned to Scarlet. "May you please explain what you are?"

"Hey! No fair!" Grell huffed, "you're only being nice because she was a cat!"

"Actually," Scarlet interjected, "that is my animal. All fey have an animal pair, and mine is the cat. I'm the only one of my kind…well kind of animal. There are no fey with my animal pairing alive today."

Sebastian put a hand to his chin, thinking. "So you're like the Zodiac?"

Scarlet looked up, surprised. "Exactly like the zodiac." She looked down then, her expression sad. "The cat is the most hated of the zodiac…long story short, it was tricked by the mouse, and bears the hatred of the rest of the Zodiac. The Mice are hunting down and killing the Cats, and being the last remaining Cat, I decided that being in the hands of a powerful being will increase my chances for survival."

"Even if it is a demon?"

"Especially if it's a demon," Scarlet said, grinning, "they're deadly and are fun to be around."

"And how many demons have you been with?"

Grell gaped at Sebastian, who was giving Scarlet his most charming smile.

"You're the only one," she said, looking Sebastian dead in the eye.

Sebastian grinned. "Not all demons are like me."

Scarlet came out of the dressing room wearing a red dress with black, intricately designed flowery lace and a black corset. Her hair was tied in a braid that wrapped around the bottom of her head with wavy bangs and the occasional loose hair or two. Sebastian had insisted (rightly so) that Lady Scarlet should stay in her animal form, but Scarlet had refused. According to her, she hasn't been in human form for months, and wanted to remember what it was like.

Sebastian smiled. "That outfit suits you, Lady Scarlet."

Scarlet twirled in her dress. "It's relatively comfortable too. Where did you find it?"

"A friend of mine tailored it," he replied, "he insisted upon it."

"Was it that Reaper?"

At that, the butler smirked. "Yes, actually, though I made some minor adjustments to it…"

Scarlet stopped twirling. "Like what?"

Sebastian looked away for a moment, but then responded. "I made it more… _modest_."

He couldn't explain how he actually had to make _major_ changes to the dress because of Grell's presumptuousness.

" _Sebas-chan, don't you think this would look wonderful on her?"_

 _Sebastian stopped washing the dishes and turned to the fabulous reaper. "Whatever you make is bound to be—"_

 _He stopped._

 _Grell was holding up an outfit that was very…_ revealing. _It had scandalously low cleavage, and it had two paws on the breasts. The skirt was open in the middle, with only a thong to cover up the wearer's…lower body._

 _Sebastian slapped him in the face. "You're perverted."_

" _I tried!" Grell complained, "Let's see_ you _do a better job!"_

And this was the result.

Scarlet shrugged. "I'm not surprised. Grell is just…Grell."

"How _did_ you two cross paths, anyway?" Sebastian asked. He didn't really think about it before, but now he was oddly curious.

"I was just in an alley in Ireland, and then Grell picked me up, saying 'this little thing would be my ticket into getting into Sebas-chan's pants.'"

Sebastian shook his head. "Grell tries so hard…"

"…but fails," Scarlet finished.

Sebastian smirked. He figured he'd like Scarlet even if she is human.

Turns out, Scarlet wasn't human at all.

When some random goons from a random lord showed up, she handled them all by herself, without a scratch. Also, Sebastian didn't have to deal with the bodies because she had gotten rid of them effectively.

"No need for you to worry, Sebas-chan," she said, wiping her bloody hands on her apron, "I took care of it."

Sebastian would be lying if he'd said Scarlet didn't look cute in her maid's outfit.

Ciel had demanded that she'd earn her keep if she were to stay here indefinitely as a human. It was either that or be in her cat form for her entire stay here. Naturally, Sebastian tried to talk her into staying a cat, but she would have none of it.

" _Think about it," Sebastian said, "you wouldn't have to work at all, and you'll be taken care of. Plus you'd have the heightened senses and instincts of an animal."_

 _Scarlet shook her head. "I wouldn't have thumbs. I wouldn't be able to talk. Sure, animal senses are better than a human's, but I would be treated as a_ pet _. By_ you _. Plus I've always wanted to try on a maid's outfit."_

Try as he might, he couldn't think of a suitable counter argument.

Scarlet's tail had begun to swish back and forth from under the too-short, mid-thigh dress. "Is there anything else you require of me, Sebas-chan?"

Grell jumped out from the bushes. "Hey! Only _I_ can call him that!"

Scarlet glared at him. "You don't have a monopoly on that name! I can call him that too."

"You can just call me by my Christian name," Sebastian said waving a dismissive hand.

Scarlet shrugged. "Oh well. I guess if you don't need me, then I'll be in the dining room napping."

And with that, she Changed into a black kitten and trotted back to the manor, leaving her clothes.

Will popped from the bushes where Grell previously was. "Being witless as always, aren't you Grell?"

The reaper jumped in fear. "I-I was working! Scarlet's going to die tonight and I wanted to be with Seba-"

Will smacked him with his scythe. "The person's name is _Charlotte,_ not _Scarlet_. Can you not read?"

He then proceeded to drag Grell away. "Honestly you are a waste of energy. Can't you do _anything_ right?"

When they both left, Sebastian picked up Scarlet's discarded dress. "Honestly, what makes that woman think I'll constantly pick up after her?"

When the picture of her as a cat came to mind, he figured out why.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you _mean_ I have to go?"

Sebastian ignored Scarlet's protests as he handed her the red dress. "I apologize, but Master said he wants _everyone_ there. No buts."

"I bet it's because _he_ doesn't want to be there, so he's dragging as many people down as he possible can," Scarlet huffed.

"Absolutely."

Scarlet rolled her eyes. " _Fine_ ," she muttered, taking the dress.

After a long while, Sebastian came back into the changing room. "Lady Scarlet, are you quite alright-?"

He opened the door and saw what the problem was immediately.

"Oh, hello!" Grell greeted, "I was just…uh…helping her with the zipper!"

Sebastian looked to Scarlet, whose hand was wrapped around the reaper's neck. "He's lying!" she protested, "I had just finished changing, and he was trying to sneak up behind me and—!"

Sebastian picked Grell up and tossed him out the window in one fluid motion.

"Thanks," Scarlet said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh it's nothing," Sebastian said, smiling kindly.

Scarlet smiled back, revealing razor-sharp teeth.

 _Wait a second_ …

Red hair…sharp teeth…

"…you're Grell's sister, aren't you?"

The redhead's face immediately darkened. " _Half-_ sister. He's a reaper, I'm a Faery. His dad is flamboyant and gay. My dad was dark and broody.

"Hard to say he's gay if he had a child…"

" _The point_ is _—_!"

"You both get your looks from your mother."

Scarlet just sighed.

"I'll leave you to get changed then," Sebastian said, bowing and doing just that.

When he left, he couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face.

"So, this new addition to the family is a pretty one!" Soma said, "It's nice to meet you, Lady Scarlet!"

Sebastian noticed that Scarlet's smile was forced. "The pleasure is mine, Prince Soma."

"Oh just call me Soma," he laughed. When his stomach growled, he laughed some more.

"To the buffet table!" he said cheerfully, Agni following behind.

When the two left, Scarlet sighed for the fourth time that evening. "I _really_ don't want to be here…"

"Will a dance alleviate your irritation?" Sebastian asked kindly, holding his hand out as an invitation.

"Yes _please_ ," she responded, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor.

"I'm afraid that most parties are tiring," the demon admitted as they began to dance slowly to the music, "and usually several people die during them."

"At least we'll have some blood spilled," the Faery replied as she let him twirl him around, "That always makes my day."

Sebastian smiled. "It would seem so…"

A gunshot rang out, but that didn't stop the couple's perfect rhythm.

"Get on the ground!" Somebody yelled, "Get on the ground now!"

Everyone around them was screaming and panicking, but they didn't care. They just kept swaying to the lack of music and the shouts of fear the humans gave off.

"Hey!" the person holding the rifle said, "Stop dancing, you stupid lovebirds!"

"I'm afraid it can't be helped," Sebastian said, releasing Scarlet.

"Damn," she said, also letting go. "That was fun though."

The man grabbed Scarlet and held a pistol to her head. "Now don't you move, or I'll blow out her brains!"

"I'd rather you not," Scarlet muttered.

" _Shut up_ you stupid whore!"

"Well _that's_ an unfair accusation," she said, "seeing as I'm a virgin."

"I said shut _up_!" He shouted, hitting her with the gun.

In an instant, Sebastian was behind him, a hand wrapped around the offender's neck.

"I'd advise you to release Lady Scarlet," Sebastian said sweetly, "Please."

The man already had let go, and Scarlet rubbed her neck. "You sir, are _rude_."

The man staggered away from them. "Damn you! What makes you think you can take me and my buddies, eh?"

"Well you see," Sebastian said kindly, advancing towards the group of people that had surrounded the man, "I am merely one _hell_ of a butler."

The man in the middle laughed. "You're merely a butler?! Men, let's get him!"

The group lunged at him…

…and suddenly fell to the ground, writhing in pain as their bones snapped like twigs.

Sebastian heard Scarlet gasp. "H-how did you—?"

"A butler who can't do that much isn't worth his salt," he explained, bowing.

The room was completely still with shock as Sebastian held out is hand. "Would you like to continue our dance?"

Scarlet stood there for a moment in shock and then smiled, her emerald eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I would love nothing more."


	5. Chapter 5

**Special thanks to** **Videalz C Valvatore** **for reviews and love! (I honestly thought that this story was going to go to crap, but it's turning out to be pretty popular XD)**

 **And of course i can't** ** _not_** **thank all of my other readers out there :D! Remember to Read and Review~!**

"You're getting awfully close to Scarlet, aren't you?"

Sebastian looked up from tying his master's shoes. "Oh?" he asked, "And what gave you that idea?"

Ciel grinned, obviously amused. "You immediately choked that man for her sake."

"Well of course I did," Sebastian replied, "you didn't think me so heartless as to leave a young maiden gasping for air, did you?"

"What went through your mind when you saw her get grabbed?"

That was a good question. "Nothing," he said simply, "I merely acted."

Ciel's grin grew. "You acted on instinct. What triggered that instinct?"

Sebastian stood upright and bowed. "Why, the need to help a damsel in distress, of course. What else?"

The Earl began to laugh.

"I shall go prepare the food," Sebastian said curtly, bowing and walking out the door.

When he walked out, he bumped into Scarlet.

"Oh, my apologies," he said kindly.

"It's alright," she replied, smiling sweetly up at him.

He didn't know what suddenly possessed him, but suddenly Sebastian pulled her into a hug.

Scarlet looked up at him with her bright emerald eyes, completely confused. "S-S-Sebas-chan…?"

The demon couldn't help himself-he began to softly stroke the woman's soft, wavy, blood-red hair as he held her tighter.

 _You acted on instinct. What triggered that instinct?_

 _Why, the need to help a damsel in distress, of course._

"You're such an interesting creature," Sebastian murmured as he continued to softly caress her head.

When Scarlet closed her eyes and snuggled closer she shivered and made a noise in her throat—something Sebastian realized was a _purr_. It made his heart melt as they both stood there with Sebastian petting Scarlet and she purring in response.

They stood like that for a while, until he heard his master's voice—"I thought you were going to go prepare the food Sebastian."

Sebastian turned and noticed the young boy standing there, smirking.

"I was…distracted, milord," Sebastian said, slightly annoyed at both himself and his master. "I'll get right on that."

And then he walked off without another word.

"Sebas-chan?"

Sebastian turned from the chicken he was roasting and saw Scarlet looking up at him, her green eyes staring up at his crimson ones. "You pet me a few minutes ago."

"Yes I did."

Scarlet blinked. "W-well…why?"

"I'm not quite sure."

Scarlet pouted. "Stop giving me such straight answers…" she complained, "you're making it too easy!"

"Would you rather have me suspiciously avoid all of your questions?" Sebastian inquired as he seasoned the dish some more.

Scarlet thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair enough. Did you enjoy petting me?"

Sebastian paused his cooking. How does one respond to that? How would she react if he said yes? She _sounded_ like she enjoyed it—she even purred as he did it. If he said no, then she would probably feel rejected, or just confused.

But what if the "purr" was actually a growl of some sort? Maybe she knew she couldn't face him in combat, so she just suffered through his torture.

But still, it seemed more like a purr than anything, and she didn't look remotely offended…

He was taken from his thoughts by laughter.

"After all of the straight answers," she said, "this is very interesting…"

Sebastian pursed his lips as he resumed cooking. "Did _you_ enjoy it when I pet you?" he asked, expecting to fluster her as she flustered him.

It didn't work. "Well I _did_ purr," Scarlet said, scratching her head and blushing. "So…yeah. A little."

 _Why did she have to answer so bluntly?_ Sebastian asked himself as he moved to the pan with stir fry and added more oil. "Well that's good," he said as he began to stir the contents of the pan.

"How so?"

The demon stopped stirring.

"…Sebas-chan?"

Sebastian was starting to get annoyed at himself for not being able to answer this woman's questions. This was the second time he had run out of words to say and stood there dumbly.

"You _did_ enjoy petting me," Scarlet said with a smirk, "didn't you?"

Sighing, the demon continued to stir. "Yes…" he admitted, "hence the reason I did it in the first place."

His face suddenly felt hot and feverish so he turned off the stove. "I'm going to go to the restroom for a moment," he said curtly, "will you please make sure Baldroy doesn't touch the food?"

Scarlet blinked. "I…sure, I guess…"

With that he walked out of the room.

"Oh you _must_ be joking…"

When Sebastian saw his reflection in the mirror he almost smashed it on the ground. His cheeks were a bright red and his heart was pounding inside his chest at an incredibly fast pace.

What was _wrong_ with him?

Taking a deep breath, Sebastian rinsed his face with cold water in an attempt to get his face back to normal. It worked a little, but his heart still raced inside him and something kept fluttering in his stomach that he couldn't identify.

"I can't be sick," he said to himself, "I ate my own cooking. I _can't_ be sick off of _my_ cooking…"

But what _was_ it? It wasn't nausea, nervousness, or—heaven forbid— _fear_. He's never felt _any_ of those sensations, and he certainly wasn't feeling it now.

"Get a hold of yourself," he muttered, "honestly, what is _wrong_ with you?"

A knock sounded at the bathroom door, making Sebastian jump—not from surprise, but recognition.

"Sebas-chan," Scarlet said, "the food is ready. Do you want me to serve it for you?"

The _last_ thing Sebastian wanted was to look like something was wrong to his master, and Ciel was sure to wonder what was wrong with him if he didn't serve the food himself.

Sighing, Sebastian opened the door and stared down at Scarlet, who looked up at him questioningly.

"I'll handle it," he said, walking briskly past her.

He felt Scarlet's eyes on his back, and he walked faster.


	6. Chapter 6

"My, Sebas-chan!" Grell exclaimed, "You look positively flustered!"

Sebastian sighed in irritation. His face had started burning again when Scarlet had purred against him when he accidently stumbled into her after serving the food. His heart was pounding in his chest, and something kept fluttering in his stomach.

And worst of all, he _enjoyed_ it.

"Grell," Sebastian said, turning to the fabulous grim reaper. "I know I'm going to regret this…but you're a hopeless romantic, correct?"

Grell stood there for a moment, trying to comprehend his question. When he did, he jumped up in the air and twirled, sparkles falling off of his body like snowflakes. "Did you finally—?!"

"It's about Lady Scarlet," Sebastian interrupted curtly, stopping him before he could even start.

The grim reaper crashed onto the ground in a heap of tears and heartbreak. "Sebas-chan how _could_ you!? Fornicating with a _cat—_?"

Suddenly he stopped crying and stood up. "Well _Sebas-chan_ ," he said in a teasing tone, "I didn't know you were into _that—_ "

Sebastian couldn't help it.

Before he could finish his sentence, Sebastian backhanded him hard enough to go through the wall.

"O-okay…" Grell said weakly, "…is it…advice you need…?"

When Grell finally looked up, Sebastian was gone.

"Advice for a little lady friend, eh?" Baldroy asked, watching the food from a distance as Sebastian cooked. "May I ask who she is?"

"No," Sebastian said curtly. He wasn't sure why he was asking Baldroy, but it was a step up from _Grell_ of all people. Sebastian couldn't determine for the life of him what possessed him to think that _Grell_ would provide any useful information.

"Well then," Baldroy said, bringing the demon to the present. "Why don't you give her chocolates and flowers? Or is she one of those women that 'aren't like other women'?"

Sebastian opened his mouth only to realize he had no idea.

Baldroy sighed. "Well," he said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "Since we're going in blind, you ought to get to know her first—just casual conversation will do…unless you already put the moves on her, of course—then it'd be downright awkward, ya see!"

 _Blast it_! Sebastian thought in his mind. No matter how you look at it, petting her was pretty much "putting the moves on her" as Baldroy so _eloquently_ put it.

"Well…" he stammered—and he _never_ stammers—"about that…"

The cook gave a hearty laugh and patted Sebastian on the back. "Ain't ya just a hot mess? Sorry bud, but I can't get you outta this one!"

Sebastian sighed. _Back to square one…_

"Why are you asking _me_ of all people?"

 _Because I am becoming pathetically desperate_. "No reason milord," Sebastian said as he stood over his young master, trying his hardest to keep a calm face despite wanting to kill something quite brutally.

Ciel gave him an amused look. "You've—"

"I assure you milord," Sebastian interrupted, "it's _not_ Lady Scarlet if that's what you're implying."

The Earl laughed out loud. "I was going to say that you've forgotten to pour the tea… _and_ you only asked about human emotions in general, not love _specifically_."

Sebastian sighed and poured tea for his master, feeling utterly ridiculous. "…of course," he muttered, "my apologies."

"Besides," Ciel continued, "am I _really_ the best person to ask about this? Talk to me about hate, revenge, and the like, but I don't necessarily care to feel love for others."

"Not even Lady Elizabeth?" Sebastian asked mischievously.

Ciel's face reddened, and Sebastian couldn't help but fell satisfaction from flustering the young Earl.

However, his satisfaction was short lived.

"Lord Phantomhive," a familiar voice asked, "is Sebas-chan in there?"

Ciel looked back to his butler, whose eyes were wide. "Milord," Sebastian whispered harshly, "I'm not here."

The Earl grinned a grin similar to Sebastian's earlier, and he felt the karma about to bite back at him.

"Why _shouldn't_ I let her in?" Ciel asked, "You're not _afraid_ are you?"

 _So_ this _is what fear feels like_ , Sebastian thought solemnly.

"Milord," Sebastian said in a slightly panicked tone, "after all that I have done for you—y-you wouldn't do this to me, would you?"

Ciel was just about to order him to open the door himself when he saw the panic in his eyes.

"You _really_ like her," he said in awe, "don't you?"

"Lord Phantomhive?" Scarlet asked again, "May I come in?"

" _Please_ milord," Sebastian said forlornly, " _please_."

Ciel laughed again. "Alright then," he said, "out the window with you."

It took Sebastian a moment to register what he said, but in the next he had vanished.

"You may come in now," Ciel said.

Sebastian sat on the roof of the mansion, listening to every word. Being a demon enabled to hear every little sound within a large distance, and focusing on one spot enabled him to hear everything as if he was standing in the room himself.

Scarlet stepped into the room. When she did, she made a small but audible sigh. "Sebastian isn't in here?" she asked disappointedly.

"I'm afraid not," Ciel replied, "but I _do_ want to talk to you. Close the door behind you, would you please?"

There was a pause, and then the door shut quietly. "What is it you would like to talk about, milord?"

His master chuckled again. "Why, Sebastian of course. You _were_ just searching for him a second ago, were you not?"

Scarlet made a few flabbergasted noises followed by a "yes milord," making Sebastian smile to himself.

"Tell me," Ciel said (Sebastian imagined him crossing his legs and resting his chin in his hands, smirking at Scarlet in that pompous way he always does), "what do you think about Sebastian?"

"E-eh?" Scarlet asked, completely confused.

"What do you think of Sebastian?" Ciel asked again, "He's a good man, is he not?"

Sebastian couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Is he…putting in a good word for me?_

"That he is," Scarlet replied happily, "I mean, he rescued me from Grell's clutches, took—well _still_ takes—very good care of me while I'm in my Zodiac Form, and he's a gentleman while I'm in human form. I mean, he even sewed me several dresses, and mended one that Grell attempted to make!"

Another chuckle from the Earl. "I see," he said amusedly, "he really has gone out of his way for you, hasn't he?"

"Yes," Scarlet said happily, "as he would always say, he's 'one _hell_ of a butler'."

"That is true," Ciel replied, "and let's not forget that 'a butler who can't do that much isn't worth his salt'."

They both laughed, and Sebastian felt himself smile.


	7. Chapter 7

"There you are!"

Sebastian froze in place. He knew that voice.

He knew it was inevitable for Scarlet to find him as he was doing chores around the house, but was it really that bad to hope? It's not like he was _avoiding_ her, but…

Okay, so he _was_ avoiding her, but that's beside the point.

"I was looking for you _everywhere_!" Scarlet said, staring at the spotless dining room. "You must have been really busy, huh?"

"Oh…uh—of course," Sebastian replied, regaining his composure. "Between the ridiculous servants botching their chores, the master's needs, and the preparations with an upcoming guest—"

"Guest?" Scarlet asked, "Who is it?"

When she asked that she had taken another step closer towards Sebastian, making him take a step back. "J-just someone who wishes to do business with the Funtom Company is all."

Scarlet cocked her head to the side and stepped even closer. "Are you quite alright?" she asked, placing a hand on his forehead. "You don't seem like your usual self, stuttering and stammering like this. You're not overworking yourself are you?"

It didn't escape Sebastian how wifely she was sounding right now. "I-I…well I _am_ used to such heavy workloads—"

"You're going to take a rest," Scarlet commanded, "I'll handle things for the rest of the day."

"I-I assure you I'm quite capable of taking care of today's activities," Sebastian insisted.

The red-haired woman gave him an adorable pout. "Are you sure?" she asked again, "I'd be more than happy to let you take the day off—I mean, I'll even go and prepare a bath for you so you can unwind for once. Your rushing around is going to run you into the ground, demon or not!"

He had to admit, it was _very_ tempting—and the fact that she was acting like a concerned wife made him dare to think that she might reciprocate his feelings.

But _what_ feelings were they? It's not hate, not love—

 _Wait._

"Blast it all," Sebastian muttered, "the man visiting is Macon Ueli Sauer. He's running a company back in Germany that wants to partner up with the Funtom Company. All you need to do is keep his tea cup—or beer cup, since he's German—full and cook some well prepared food and keep the atmosphere desirable. I'll prepare my own bath—"

"Nonsense," Scarlet interrupted, "it won't take too long, and women are great multi-taskers! Now come along now! To the bath with you!"

With that, Scarlet pushed Sebastian towards the bathroom, and the demon couldn't stop the grin that spread on his face.

Three minutes into the bath Sebastian knew something was wrong.

He heard an angry hiss and multiple loud explosions as well as a terribly annoying squeaking noise. He tried to block it out for as long as he could, but it was impossible. It didn't help when irritation blossomed into worry for Scarlet—she could be the one who was being attacked, but by whom?

Unable to sit still any longer, Sebastian got out of the bath, put his clothing back on, and rushed upstairs where the commotion was happening.

He couldn't believe his eyes.

" _Lau_ ," he said dangerously, " _put. Her. Down._ "

Lau did as he was told, confused. "Why do you care about her so much?" he asked, "She's just a cat after all…"

Sebastian wanted to smack that grin off of his face but froze when he heard a carriage pull up to the manor.

"Good lord," Sebastian cursed, "Lau, get out of here before I _make_ you."

For the first time in a while, Lau got the hint and left the room with a bored expression. "Fine fine," he said with a loud sigh, "I _will_ eat that cat one day…"

"Over my dead body," the butler muttered to himself.

When he left, Scarlet Changed back into her human form. When she did, Sebastian noticed with a start that she was crying.

"I-I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I-I was supposed to help you…b-but Lau tried to kidnap me and the food's not ready and the guest is already here and-and—"

She was quieted by Sebastian pulling her into a hug.

"It's quite alright," he murmured, "the fact that you tried is enough to make me happy."

He began to absentmindedly pet her hair and she began to purr in his arms, putting a smile on his face.

 **Well I still haven't finished the latest chapter because *insert excuses here***

 **What makes this even WORSE is that I'm going to be out of town all weekend, and I will not have access to my laptop that has my stories on it-and thus rendering me unable to finish the chapter, let alone upload it...**

 **So this story will be on hiatus until sometime next week :-( Sorry for the inconvenience...**

 **~The Mistress of Fire~**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm** ** _baaaaaack~!_** **I'll try to update as often as before, but my premade chapters ran out so It'll take a bit longer…but I SHALL TR NONETHELESS**

"Hello," Mr. Sauer said, tipping his hat towards Lady Scarlet. "Madam."

"Hey Sebastian," Scarlet whispered, "If he's German why does he have an American accent?"

Sebastian was wondering that himself. "Perhaps the writer didn't know how to write in a German accent and decided to be lazy."

Scarlet nodded understandingly. "Yeah, it's hard writing in a regional dialect."

"Mark Twain pulled it off fairly well."

"The Mistress of Fire is not even _close_ to being Mark Twain…"

"But she _does_ come up with witty sayings sometimes…"

They were interrupted by the Earl of Phantomhive clearing his throat.

"Yes Master?" Scarlet and Sebastian asked in unison.

Ciel sighed. "This is Mr. Macon Sauer. Mr. Sauer, my butler and maid."

"She's a _lovely_ thing," Mr. Sauer said lowly, making Scarlet look uncomfortable and Sebastian feel threatened—not for his sake, but Scarlet's.

Nonetheless, she curtsied and gave him a sweet smile, masking her discomfort.

"To the Drawing room, shall we?" Sebastian asked, hoping to take the guest's unwanted attention off of Scarlet.

Mr. Sauer nodded, but he glanced at Scarlet one last time before leaving, following the Sebastian and Ciel.

"Sebastian," Scarlet murmured as Ciel and Sauer talked with one another, "I can handle this…you don't have to—"

"After that look he gave you?" Sebastian asked, "Over my dead body."

The redhead sighed. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, "You were supposed to rest…"

"It's fine," the butler assured her with a smile, "it's the thought that counts."

"Sebastian, Scarlet," Ciel said, "Leave us for a moment."

The two did as they were told, bowing and walking out the room. Once they were outside, Scarlet looked as if she was fighting down panic.

"Scarlet?" Sebastian asked, worried. "What is it? Do you not trust Mr. Sauer?"

Scarlet shook her head. "No, I don't," she replied, "His initials spell 'Mus'."

"The Latin word for mouse," Sebastian said, understanding. "And he _was_ giving you extra attention…do you think that he knows who you are?"

"Most likely," Scarlet said grimly, "I need to be on my guard."

Suddenly it looked like she got an idea.

"What if I was in my cat form?" Scarlet asked, "Then—"

"Absolutely not," Sebastian countered, "he'd be able to sense that you're no mere cat—your eyes give it away. It'll be best if—"

His voice died in his throat.

"…Sebastian?"

"Y…your ears," Sebastian finally choked out, "a-and your tail…"

Scarlet realized what he said and put her hands over her ears. "He already knows!" she hissed, "damn it damn it _damn it_!"

"It's too late for you to turn into a cat now," Sebastian said, "it would be best if you stayed human so you'd protect yourself more easily."

"R-right," she said, looking down dejectedly. "I…I'm sorry. I-if I had known—"

"Don't," Sebastian said sternly, "It's not even _close_ to being your fault. But I hope you know this means you're not leaving my sight, alright?"

She looked shocked, but then nodded. "Alright," she agreed, "…thanks."

"Oh no need to thank me," Sebastian said, bowing. "A butler who can't do that much isn't worth his salt."

Scarlet laughed. "Right you are, Sebas-chan," she said, "right you are…"

"So tell me, Mr. Sauer," Ciel said, "what business brings you here today?"

Ciel immediately didn't trust the man. He had eyed Scarlet like she was a piece of candy and it didn't help that his initials spelled "mouse" in Latin. He's sure Sebastian caught on, which is why he dismissed them—he'll talk it over with Scarlet and figure out what to do.

In the meantime, he must stall.

"Straight to the point, aren't we?" Mr. Sauer mused, grinning. "But why not relax and chat for awhile? I'm so terribly exhausted from my trip here…"

"I apologize," Ciel replied, "but I'm not here for idle chat. I've never even heard the name of your company."

Mr. Sauer's grin dropped. "So you're _not_ the ignorant brat the higher-ups paint you to be. Very well—I can take Scarlet off of your hands for three million dollars."

Well then.

"I'm afraid that she is not for sale," Ciel said curtly.

"Four million," the man persisted.

Ciel gave him an unamused look. "She's a human being—"

"She's a cat," Mr. Sauer interrupted, "what use do you have for her?"

"I can ask you the same thing," Ciel shot back, "now if you have nothing else to say, then I must ask you to leave."

Growling, Mr. Sauer stood up. "Well then," he said, "I guess I'll take my leave then."

When he left, Ciel sighed. "Sebastian, walk him to his carriage please?"

Sebastian appeared at the doorway. "Yes, my lord."

Mr. Sauer jumped, but then recomposed himself. "I know my way around, thanks."

"But it would be rude to make you wander our halls alone," Ciel said with fake politeness.

"That _is_ true," Sebastian said, "now, follow me."

The man _tsked_ and then followed without another word.


	9. Chapter 9

"What am I supposed to do!?" A panicked Scarlet asked, pacing back and forth in front of the stove. "I practically gave away what I was a faery like an idiot! Even if it _was_ a normal human, he would have been confused why I had ears and a tail! God, I'm so _stupid_!"

"Scarlet," Sebastian tried.

Suddenly she burst into tears. "It's all my fault!" she cried, "I-I just wanted to have a break for once, and I just gave you _more_ work to do! I'm so—"

She stopped when Sebastian drew her into a hug. "S…Sebas-chan…?"

"It's alright," Sebastian said, caressing her hair as he had done before. "I won't let him touch you—it'd be my pleasure to look out for you."

Too late Sebastian realized how much affection he was showering on the woman, but he found that he didn't care in the slightest when Scarlet snuggled into his chest and purred. He felt warm inside, and it puzzled him—and what puzzled him even more was that he enjoyed the feeling immensely as he held her tighter. She had soft hair and skin, and the way she kept purring was ironically divine.

"Sebas— _oh…_ "

The butler broke away and saw his young master staring up at him with an amused smirk.

"M-my lord," Sebastian stammered, pulling away. "I…was just…"

"Canoodling in the hallway again," Ciel finished, "however, I have a job for you—find Mr. Saur and his whereabouts so Scarlet could rest easy, hmm?"

Sebastian sighed. "Yes, My lord."

With that, he walked over towards the window and dived out, but not without a second glance at Scarlet.

"He really cares for you, you know."

Scarlet jumped. Ciel noticed that she seemed quite uncomfortable being alone with him—probably after they were starting to get cuddly with each other.

"W-what?" Scarlet asked, "I—he's just a caring person, that's all…"

"He's a demon," Ciel said bluntly, "but the fact that he was about to start scoodly-pooping with you shows that he really does like you."

"S-Scoodly what now?"

"He was about to have sex with you," the boy elaborated.

Scarlet stared at him with wide eyes. "… _what_."

It wasn't even a question—it was a flat statement that was said as she tried in vain to comprehend his words.

"You know, sex," Ciel said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "Something us humans do to feel good, but it has the side effect of reproduction."

The woman looked away, blushing madly. "I-I know what _sex_ is!" she said, looking positively flustered. "I-I'm actually surprised _you_ know what sex is!"

Ciel looked down at the ground and began to laugh.

"W-what!?" Scarlet demanded, "H-have you actually—?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he cut her off, "I'm twelve. My fiancé hasn't even had her first period yet."

Scarlet was starting to look even more uncomfortable. "W-w-why are you being so _vulgar_?" she asked, shrinking away. "You say you're twelve but you talk like you're twenty!"

"That's just how Ciel is!" A blonde girl with ringlets said, skipping up towards the two of them.

"Speak of the devil," Ciel muttered.

However, his comment didn't go past the girl. "Hey!" she said, "That's no way to treat your fiancé!"

Scarlet blinked. "This…is your fiancé?"

The girl nodded, ringlets bouncing alone with her head. "I'm Lizzy! You're Scarlet, right?"

"Y-yes," she said, curtsying out of habit.

"She's pretty," Lizzy said, giggling. "I hope you're not planning to leave me for her!"

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous Elizabeth," he said, "she's a maid. You're not. Besides, she's not _that_ pretty."

He said the last part with averted eyes and flushed cheeks, making Scarlet raise an eyebrow.

Lizzy probably noticed too, judging by the sly grin on her face. "Really?" she asked, "I think she's really pretty. Even prettier than _me_!"

"As if," Ciel snorted, "You're a million times more beautiful than…"

Realizing what he was saying, Ciel looked away. "Scarlet, I need you to go wash the dishes."

Scarlet blinked. "I'm sure Sebastian already—"

" _Now_ please," Ciel snapped.

"I think you should go," Lizzy said with a giggle. "Ciel doesn't like it when people see him flustered."

Blinking, Scarlet decided to do just that.

 **Sorry this was so freaking short…I've been so busy lately and the few times I've had time to write I was tired as balls…I'll try to make the next one longer, but there aren't any guarantees…**


	10. Ch 10

"Um…Master Phantomhive?"

Ciel looked up at Scarlet, who peeked her head into the doorway. "What is it?" he asked, annoyed that he was getting interrupted again.

Scarlet stepped in and looked down, a towel being rung in her nervous hands. "…all of the silverware is missing."

"Again?" the boy asked, arching an eyebrow. "Sebastian must have gotten a hold of them again. Don't worry, you can clean them later when he's done."

The girl blinked, not comprehending.

"Just continue cleaning," Ciel elaborated, "Sebastian will deal with it later."

There was a moment of silence, and then she curtsied. "Yes, my lord."

"Well," Sebastian said as he looked up at the orphanage, "this was not quite what I was expecting…"

Regardless, he opened the door and was immediately greeted by a young lady hugging his leg.

"Hey mister!" she said with an American accent, "Are ya going to adopt me?"

Sebastian was about to answer no, but then a cows tail peeked from under the girls skirt.

 _Huh,_ he thought, _an orphanage for Zodiacs?_

"I'm afraid not," he said, "I'm looking for a Mr. Saur—is he here?"

The girl cocked her head to the side. "I think so…but I wouldn't know."

She then skipped away, but Sebastian didn't miss the light clopping noise she made with each step. He briefly wondered if Scarlet hid cat legs under her skirt, and if she had human or feline reproductive parts—but he then immediately began to berate himself for thinking about something so ungentlemanly and scandalous.

…though it still failed to quell his curiousity.

"Hello there," a voice said behind him. Sebastian turned and saw a dark-skinned woman with tiger stripes on her face, as well as a tail coming from her skirt. "You aren't a Zodiac, but you're most certainly not human either. You're probably not looking for a child to adopt…"

"I'm afraid not," Sebastian repeated, "Is there a Mr. Saur I can speak to?"

The woman's face darkened. "He's not here," she said, "but I can tell you where you where you can find him."

"I would appreciate that," Sebastian said, smiling slightly.

"However," the woman continued, "if he finds out that I told you, this orphanage most likely will be shut down—mice aren't the nicest…"

"I'm aware," he said dryly, "very well, you need not tell me where he is, but what he does—can you tell me that?"

The woman nodded. "They're truly cruel," she said, "they experiment with Zodiacs, trying to harness other's powers—they do things from torture to brainwashing, and it's all to eradicate every single cat from this earth. I don't know why, seeing as cats aren't really all that bad…"

 _Cats are the most hated of the Zodiac_.

"Is that so?" Sebastian inquired, "from what I've heard, cats aren't well liked…"

"That's where you're wrong," the woman said, "though many had fallen for the mice's attempt to sully the cat's name, I've met quite a few who seem decent. In my honest opinion it's the _mice_ who are the scoundrels—besides, being a tiger means I'm technically a cat. That doesn't do well to put me in the mice's good graces though…"

"So the mice seem to have considerable influence on the other Zodiacs," Sebastian observed.

"Yes," she said, "most mice are nobles with influence in the underworld."

 _The Underworld._

"Of course," Sebastian said, "I'll keep that in mind."

The woman looked down and saw a little boy—no older than five—grasp onto her skirt and say something in Spanish. The woman replied by picking him up and replying back with a smile.

"You take Zodiacs from all over," Sebastian said, "There must not be many of these orphanages."

"There aren't _any_ of these outside of Brittan," the woman replied in English, "We're the only one, but there's a surprisingly young widow that lives here in London who takes them in off the streets. If she can't take care of them, then she sends them here—she's a very kind soul, honestly.

"And the name of this woman?" Sebastian inquired.

The tiger smiled.

"Mrs. Maria Abberline."

 **UGH I've been busy and tired and *insert more excuses here* and to top it off this chapter is as short as my temper...**

 **If you're still interested in this, then review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Sebastian went to go knock on the door of Mrs. Abberline's house, but he noted with dismay that it swung open at the slightest touch.

The inside was even more disconcerting—it was dark, but Sebastian was still able to make out objects hidden in the shadows. There was debris everywhere, and clothing was strewn across the floor as if the entire place was ransacked from head to toe.

The butler heard a faint sob, and he stilled completely.

After a couple seconds, he pinpointed where it was coming from—a little tail swished from side to side behind an upturned table. He advanced towards it slowly, so as not to spook to poor creature. When he finally peered over the table, his heart broke.

A small girl of about six or seven was curled up into a ball, head tucked in between her knees as she sobbed quietly. She had cat ears and a cat tail, but her hair was brown and cut to her shoulders with some pulled back into a big, white bow. She was wearing a little sailor's outfit, but instead of shorts she had a fluffy skirt and knee-high socks.

"Hello," he said softly. The girl looked up, fear written all over her face.

"P…please don't hurt me…" she whispered, tears trailing down red, stained cheeks.

"I won't," Sebastian promised, "Did the Mice do this?"

Realizing that he wasn't with the mice, she nodded. "T-they took Mrs. Abberline…I don't know where…they came for me but she made sure that I stayed hidden and went instead. I was just about to try to escape."

"May I help you with that?" Sebastian inquired, "I know of an orphanage that will keep your kind—you will be safe."

The girl instantly bolted to her feet and hugged Sebastian.

"T-thank you," she hiccupped, crying once more. "Thank you so much…"

Sebastian sighed. _Why must you be so cute_? He asked himself.

Instead of voicing his question, he asked, "What's your name?"

The girl sniffled. "I-I'm Nikko."

The butler smiled. It sounded a lot like "neko" which was probably by design.

"Let's get you out of here," he said, gently picking her up and leaving the remains of her home behind.

"I'm so sorry," the woman at the orphanage said, "B-but…we can't…"

"You're afraid to care for a cat," Sebastian said with a sigh. It's not like he can blame her—the orphanage will mirror Mrs. Abberline's home and all of the other children will either be taken or killed. "I understand."

"I…thank you," the woman said, "It kills me to turn such a precious child away…"

"It's okay!" Nikko said happily, "Sebas-chan will take care of me!"

The butler had no idea where she had gotten that from, but he decided to not be annoyed. "Yes," he said instead, "yes I will."

"I-I'm sorry again," the woman said, "Maria was such a kind, noble woman…"

She suddenly cursed in about four different languages, only two the demon was familiar with.

"I'm so weak," she muttered, "Maria should be heading this orphanage, not me…"

"Don't beat yourself up," Sebastian said, "You're just thinking of all of the other children. I'll be glad to care for her."

Nikko beamed, and the woman gave him a watery smile. "T-thank you," she said quietly, "My name is Leona, by the way…"

"Leona," he mused, "I would have thought t would have been something related to tigers, not lions."

Leona shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed, "I'd ask my parents, but I'm in the same boat as all of these children."

Sebastian nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Well, I must be going."

"Please be careful," Leona called after him, "and take great care of little Nikko!"

"Will do," he said to himself, though he got the feeling she heard him.

"Sebas-chan!" Scarlet said happily as the butler appeared in the kitchen the next day, "You're back!"

The demon butler nodded, trying hard not to show any emotion as he continued to cook. Baldroy was in the time out corner again for almost burning the mansion down—the last thing Tanaka needed was it burning down for a _third_ time.

"Did you find Mr. Saur?" the woman asked, ears twitching in curiosity.

Sebastian resisted the urge to pet her head. "N-not yet," he stammered, "but I do have a lead—several, actually."

Scarlet cocked her head to the side. "Like what?"

"It's a secret," Sebastian replied, putting a finger to his lips and grinning.

The woman pouted. "You're no fun…"

The butler smirked. "If it's any consolation, it turned out I _didn't_ need the silverware like I thought I would—but I'm still keeping the forks just to be safe."

"The forks?" Scarlet questioned, "why not the knives?"

"Forks are more interesting and less expected," a third voice pointed out. The two stewards turned and saw Ciel standing there, arms crossed and grin in place. "I must say, this is the first time I caught you _not_ scoodly-pooping in the hallway."

"S…Scoodly-pooping, my lord?" Sebastian questioned uncertainly. He's been in this world for a long time, but he has _never_ heard that term used…

"W-w-w weren't having sex!" Scarlet blurted out, face as red as her hair.

Sebastian almost dropped the pan on the floor. "M-my lord!" he chastised, "how could you—"

"Sebas-chan?"

All three turned—little Nikko stood in the hallway, rubbing her eyes. "Sebas-chan, I'm hungry…"

"What the fuck is this?" Ciel demanded.

"Don't curse in front of her!" Scarlet shot back, walking up to the girl. "I'm Scarlet," she said, curtsying.

Then she noticed the girl's ears and tail.

"You're a Zodiac!" she said excitedly, kneeling down to her level, "not only that, but you're a Cat like me!"

Nikko's eyes widened and she smiled. "You're right! That's so cool!"

Scarlet went and pet Nikko behind her ears, and Nikko did the same with her, reducing them to puddles of purring adorableness.

Sebastian felt something leave his nose. When he wiped it with a tissue, he was dismayed to see it was blood.

"Really?" Ciel asked, "What will my fiancé think of me letting another girl stay at my house?"

"You're not _jealous,_ are you my lord?"

"Sebastian, go take Pluto for a walk," was his reply.

The butler laughed and turned back to his cooking.

"That was an order Sebastian."

The butler cursed and did as he was told.


End file.
